


Like the Garden of Eden

by DelicateDragons



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Callum/Rayla Fluff (The Dragon Prince), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Minor Angst, Not Beta Read, Rayllum Valentines Week 2021, Soulmates, Valentine’s Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29437938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelicateDragons/pseuds/DelicateDragons
Summary: Ever since she turned eighteen, Rayla was suddenly thrown into the world as an eligible bachelorette. It disgusts her, really, that she has to marry some rich person in order for her parents to keep their ranks, or otherwise they are exiled from their homes. Including their families too.OrA arranged marriage au with a bit of a twist 👀. Here’s my take for Rayllum valentines week created by Raayllum on tumblr!
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 69
Kudos: 87





	1. Rayla hates valentines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wordswithdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordswithdragons/gifts).



> I don’t know how much this will be updated but I’ll try to get this updated on the correct days! I hope you all enjoy this fun twisty story! 
> 
> Celebrating our love birds!

Rayla looks down at the dress with so much discomfort that anybody in the room could see that she did not want to be here. But, as fate often turns out to be, she has to. As the daughter of two generals, the law dictates that any daughter has to marry within the ranks of the military or have the marriage be arranged with a foreign country. 

Ever since she turned eighteen, Rayla was suddenly thrown into the world as an eligible bachelorette. It disgusts her, really, that she has to marry some rich person in order for her parents to keep their ranks, or otherwise they are exiled from their homes. Including their families too. 

The law wasn’t that old, she thinks. A few centuries old at least. The peace treaty between Xadia and the human lands was not even that old and the law was still being practiced today. 

_Why do I even need to wear a dress when it’s supposed to be a casual event?_ Rayla glowers across the room where her uncles were watching the clock, dressed in suits and ties that she doesn’t think they enjoy wearing at all. 

A knock on the door makes her freeze. She doesn’t know why. Something tells her it must be nerves playing catch up with her. She assumes that, that must be it. 

A second passes and Runaan walks up to the door. Rayla takes her time to control her breathing. In and out, pause, in and out. A beat passes, and she watches her uncle open the door with large eyes. 

Rayla wasn’t expecting to see a thirteen year old boy in a red suit and wearing a crown to be standing in front of her door, but here he was; the prince. She was told she was to marry one. Her pulse quickens as she looks at her heels that she was also forced to wear. She hates these uncomfortable footwear.

Just like how much she hates being here too. 

“You must be, Rayla! My name is Ezran.” His voice comes out with a squeak and Rayla reminds herself that he must be starting puberty. Her younger cousins went through it when she was still living in the Silvergrove. “Your dress that my father sent up here suits you well!” 

That- wasn’t what she was expecting a thirteen year old to say. But he did say all those nice words. Compliments. Something that she didn’t care for during childhood. Yet, she finds herself caring now. 

Ethari clears his throat and the prince turns to him with a glowing smile. “You must be, Prince Ezran? You look-” 

“Young? Indeed, though my brother looks older with what little hair he tries to grow on his face. Isn’t bald, but he nearly gave our father baldness trying to come up with a hybrid spell.” the boy grins and its damn near impossible not to smile when he’s looking right at you. He shoots Rayla a bigger grin and bows. “Speaking of my brother, he sent me to come find you, Rayla!” 

Rayla freezes up, again. Older brother? Please, please be the same age as her. 

Runaan clears his thoat this time. His eyes turn to Rayla and they speak for themselves: _Don’t mess this up, little blade._

Rayla gulps and nods. If Ezran could sense her nerves spiking when he nods her way and turns to follow, then he didn’t say anything.

The girl looks at her uncles with uncertainty and they gave her both unhelpful nods. She suppose should tell them both that she loves them anyways. It was them that vouched for her to do this. Her parents were runaways in the war, and her village had blamed her for the death of King Avizandum. 

She had no clue her uncles had done this until a few weeks ago. She had no power over anything once the proposal was finalized with Runaan and Ethari. The law had complete control over the peace treaty and that means it had complete control of _her_. 

Rayla forgot to count how many times she had cried about her fate. Her life, as she knows it, was gone. No freedom. She wouldn’t have a choice. None of what she thought her life would be. No more dreaming. 

Okay, the last thought may have been a bit over the edge, even for her. 

Rayla bits her bottom lip and ventures out of her guest room, following behind a chattering prince and leaving the safety and comfort that her uncles provided. 

* * *

  
  


Callum loves the butterflies in the garden. His mother use to bring him to the gardens to count the butterflies. She had done that everytime he needed her. She was always in the garden. 

Even when she wasn’t here anymore. 

A lump forms in the prince’s throat. He looks at the butterfly that lands on his finger, unnoticed by him during his little daydream, and smiles. It was almost like she was comforting him. Like she had sent that butterfly to give him a reason to smile. 

“It is, mom. Thank you.” He whispers to the butterfly as it flew away towards its brethren. A lone tear ran down his cheek and he quickly wipes it away with his sleeve. 

“Ah, Prince Callum, there you are!” He was startled out of the silence that the garden provided him by his father who walks down the path with a kind smile. His step-father was careful not to step too close to him then. Harrow had a clear and deep understanding of the spot to his right. 

The spot that Sarai sits, laughing as the butterflies tickle her nose. A spot that Callum had planted her favorite flower: Poppy seed. 

It was also a special place, the first place where he learned to be a mage at fifteen. His arcanum of the sky was born there. Sarai would be proud of her little prince. Callum, everytime he comes to their spot at the garden, can hear her voice singing and laughing. 

Its like she never truly left him or Ezran and Harrow. 

“I see that you’re looking after her garden for her, son.” his father spoke slowly and gently to him, like Sarai had done during their many chats. “She’s proud of you for that, you know.” He smiles at Callum with such praise that it lifted the boys heart just a bit. 

Today was going to be hard, for everyone, but for him mostly. Callum is having his life plans be swept away by a arrange marriage. It wasn’t his fathers doing but it was the laws. One such law that would have to be declined by both the pentarchy and the Xadians. It wasn’t as harsh as it sounds. To him anyways. 

Xadian law is no different than theirs but it is more ruthless. It makes Callum sad that his father, who dislikes the law even more than people he knows, was powerless to end its reign. It wouldn’t just end the arrange marriage but it would end the peace treaty with Xadia. Something that neither side would do. 

The war was bloody and lives were lost. The last thing both sides need is a reason to fight once more. 

Callum smiles at his father, grateful for the reminder that he already knew. His step-father could tell that he was nervous. Why wouldn’t he be? He was about to marry a total stranger in a years time.

“Ready to meet the Xadians?” Harrow asks, keeping his face neutral, but Callum knew he was trying hart to keep his face from falling. 

The prince looks back at the poppy seed that wasn’t even close to budding but he felt reassurance by just seeing it, and he gets up. With a breath and a hand running through his dark brown hair, Callum nods. 

"Yeah, let's go." He makes the effort to give the king a bow before walking past him and towards the throne room.

His heart squeezes as they walk past other poppy seeds. He has noticed that the one that he planted wasn't blooming like the others. It wasn't like he didn't know how to garden. His mother had taught him. Poppy seeds were the first plants that she had taught him to plant. They were special. 

He wonders if his wife would love them too. 

"You'll do great, son." Harrow says and half hugs him before they got to the throne room doors. The king removes his arms from around his son as the door opens. 

Callum takes a deep breath. His heart leaps into his throat as he turns his head forwards again. No words can describe his emotions right now. Anxiety rises within him as his father steps into the room. He reluctantly follows him. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Three people stood near the table and looked up when the sounds of the door opening caught their attention. Callum could feel his mouth dry at the sight of the single female Xadian in the room.

She had long white hair and lilac eyes that glowed in the sun when caught in the perfect angle. She had on a beautiful red dress that doesn’t really suit her (Callum notices that she’s uncomfortable wearing one) with a slit going down her left leg and dark colored heals to match. Callum smiles at her, a smile that his mother had told him that made people feel at ease and comfortable around him (since he’s the step-prince and all), and she diverts her gaze away from him. She was nervous like him. She didn’t want to be with all these people. 

Callum felt the same. 

Two men, sporting matching dark grey suits and pants, with white hair similar to the girl beside them, walks up to the king with hands stretched out to shake. Callum clears his mind and offers his hand for them to shake as well. He keeps his eyes on the girl, who looks to be the only one at the table now. 

She looks like she wants to run away, like he does when he gets anxious. Which happens a lot ever since Harrow had told him about the news. Had she thought of the same things as he does? Sometimes, he can hear a voice in his head and dreams, a soothing voice that fails to be remembered when he wakes up. Does she have the same voice or are they different? 

Harrow had told him that soulmates weren’t real. That they were fairy tales meant to confuse the romantics. Harrow hadn’t shared with Callum that soulmates were real and that everyone is different. 

The fading initial of his mothers name was too real and too confusing for the prince at the time, when Harrow had shown him the wrist. Callum was eleven when he found out that soulmates can speak with each other like telepathy. It was an accident at first. His had startled the poor girl off a branch and had learned some colorful curses after that. 

He hadn’t talked to her since. Haven’t used their telepathic link in seven years. 

Now she stands in his mansion. All pretty and very much uncomfortable like he is now. 

Ezran comes out of the corner where she was with a toothy grin and his hands was hit glowtoad, Bait. He walks to her and starts chatting away and that was when Callum sees her smile. It was gorgeous. Something so beautiful and radiant. 

_Slow down, Archmage Callum. You need to get to know her before developing a crush on her._ Says a mindless thought in his head that he ignores. He knows her. Not really well but her voice was breathtaking when he first heard it. Even at eleven, his child brain thought her voice was pretty. 

He reminds himself to relax. Just like how his mother had convinced him time and time again to relax at overcrowded events. He should share that thought with this girl. 

He regrets never asking for her name. 

The girl spots him while his little brother points at him with a smile. Callum smiles at her, thinking that Ezran is probably talking about Bait and jellytarts (he knows he probably is), and after excusing himself from the two men and his father, the prince makes his way towards the table. He steadies himself when he feels his feet starting to drag, and he takes a deep breath as he focuses on his brothers voice and trying not to- 

Callum stumbles forwards when his leg collides with the tables front leg, and his arms flail out to catch himself. His face feels too hot to be comfortable and he straightens himself up when he catches himself last second on the edge of the table. He avoids the girls gaze and Ezran snorts at that. 

“You okay?” a voice asks, really close to his ear and he stammers out something weird. Oh, how much he wants to go to his room and lie underneath the covers. 

“I’m fine.” He mumbles weakly, turning to face the person who asked such a question and his eyes widen because it was _her_ that asked him. Of course it is. He ignores the way the rooms seems to quiet around them. “Thanks.” He says, smiling weakly at her, face still burning. 

_She’s taller than me,_ Callum’s mind screams as he feels another wave of heat on his ears. _She’s beautiful and tall._

The girl doesn’t look convinced but that didn’t stop her from reaching out her hand for him to shake. She fights herself to look him in the eye and he takes her hand. It was soft and warm under his touch. He could hold it all day and he wouldn’t grow bored of it. 

Not even of her. The girl that is his supposed soulmate is here, in front of him, and holding his hand. 

Wait, this was just supposed to be a shake of the hand and not the other way around. 

Callum smiles at her sheepishly and lets her hand go, dropping his so that he can bow in front of her and introduce himself. “My name is, Prince Callum. You must be…”

“Rayla. It's a _pleasure_ to meet you.” the girl looks at him as if she remembers him and a small part of him thinks she does and she isn’t admitting it. She curtsies in front of him and almost stumbles into him before catching himself. “Sorry.” 

“No worries.” Callum smiles and then lowers his voice so that only she can hear him. “You don’t have to be so formal in front of me, okay. Just be yourself and just call me Callum.” He straightens himself back up and turns when his father laughs. 

“Well then, shall we go to lunch, now that we all know each other a little bit?” King Harrow suggests and the two Xadians nod before following him out of the throne room. Ezran speeds walk after them until Callum and the girl are alone to catch up. 

Callum gulps when she turns on him and points at him accusingly, “So it was _you_ who startled me out of that tree when I was a little girl?” her eyes glaring daggers at him. 

The prince puts his hands up in front of him as he laughs nervously. “H-hi, umm I didn’t know I could do that in the first place. I was surprised as well when I heard you curse me another rainbow!” He cries as his throat tightens and his hands start to sweat. 

Rayla gives him an unimpressed look before shaking her head with a tsk. Her hands lower to her sides. She turns around, her hair hitting the prince’s face, and scowls at him over her shoulder. “You owe me from that broken wrist, _Prince_ Callum.” she says and leaves him standing in the throne room. 

* * *

  
  
  


“Where were you guys?” Ethari whispers to Rayla once she enters the dining hall with Callum not too far behind. She seemed grumpy when she arrived, and it seems that the first impressions never went as good as they hoped. 

When do first impressions go well with Rayla?

“We were chatting.” she grips at him and takes her spot next to him and Runaan and no where close to where the older prince will be seated. “No need to worry your tails.” 

“I wasn’t worried.” Ethari looks at Runaan for help but his husband just shrugs half heartedly. 

Callum arrives at the table and sits close to them but stays a distance from Rayla. It alarms Ethari and the others in the room. Weren’t they friends and just getting along nicely? What happened to that?

King Harrow stands adjacent from them and holds out his wine glass for a toast. “To Rayla and Callum, may their lives together foster during these weeks before the wedding and after forever!” and everyone follows him into agreement, and clinks their glasses (Ezran gets grape juice in a wine glass since he wants to feel like an adult) together. 

Dinner was silent and certain tensions filled the air. Callum wouldn’t look at Rayla and if he tried, his eyes would shift to his plate again. 

Ethari watches his niece with a curious eye. Her shoulders were tense and her face shows different emotions when she glances at Callum. She doesn’t smile like she was when she was talking to the younger boy, and when she does, its not directed at the older prince. 

What went on behind close doors that had them on edge? 

“So, Rayla, what do you think of Katolis?” the king asks, looking between her and Callum with interest and a raised eyebrow. 

_It seems that I’m not the only one that notices the tense air between them,_ Ethari thinks as he digs into his salad for the tomato that fell off his fork. 

“Its okay, I love the garden you have here.” the girl comments cheerfully and honestly, and Callum straightens up at the mention of the garden. Ethari raises an eyebrow. It seems that the garden is important to the prince. “The flowers are beautiful.” 

“Indeed they are, my wife planted all those flowers. She loves the poppy seeds the most. She taught Callum how to grow and plant them too, right Callum?” 

“Uh, yes! Mom was very strict about keeping the flowers clean and undisturbed.” Callum says, avoiding Rayla’s gaze and smiles at Ethari and Runaan. He looks down at his plate and folds up his napkin beside it and stands. “May I be excused, King Harrow?” 

“You may, Prince Callum. May I ask why you’re leaving so soon?” The king looks confused and concerned. It made Ethari worry too. 

“I have lessons soon.” Callum mumbles out before turning and leaving the dining hall. 

The room lightens up and Rayla excuses herself too. She grabs a pair of apples and rushes off where the prince went. Runaan sighs and looks away from the king who gives them a confused and worried look. 

“I wish I could tell you what’s going through her mind.” Runaan confesses and facepalms himself. “But I think this has to do with her accident when she was nearly eleven.” 

Harrow looks confused and intrigued at the same time by the way he straightens in his spot adjacent from them. Ezran seems to be the same way, putting down a jelly tart that was halfway to his mouth (Ethari thinks it was his fifth one) and listens. 

“In her years as a cadet, Rayla loved climbing trees and use to be confident climbing the tall ones. One day she comes home with tears in her eyes and crying out colorful curses at no one in particular. When we ask what made her fall, she gave us an answer of ‘A dumb boy called me and he made me fall’, we didn’t believe her at the time since we didn’t know it was her soulmate speaking with her. Rayla doesn’t believe that stuff but she was just happy that this boy never bothered to use their telepathic link again.” Ethari says and sighs as he swirls his wine around the glass. “She was going to be a soldier and work her way up to be a general like her parents were. But once she turned eighteen…” 

“Then she was whisked away to another life instead of one on the battlefield.” Harrow guesses and the uncles of the girl nod in unison. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help to stop this.” 

“I think she’ll do fine. She’s stronger than anyone we know and can protect herself too.” Runaan says solemnly and then smiles at the king. “Don’t worry. She’ll come around, your son seems like a level headed man. Better than some people she dated before.” 

“Had she been on the receiving end of broken hearts too?” 

“Indeed, its heartbreaking when Rayla comes home all grumpy and later you hear her taking her frustrations and heartache out on her punchingbage.” Ethari mentions, smiling as he remembers sketching the boys face for Rayla to scream and punch at until she feels better. He hopes that Callum wouldn’t be on the receiving end of the punching bag as well. 

“My son had a crush on our high mage, Lord Viren, daughter and when he finally confessed his feelings for her, she turned him down after leading him on with his feelings for some time. It hurt him so much, and he started traveling to places to learn about magic, primal magic. Not dark magic, we banned that along time ago and my high mage had left the kingdom to do more dark magic in ones that he can legally do. His oldest son, Soren, still lives here though. As the honorary crownguard.” Harrow says, and his face falls at the mention of his old friend. 

No need to worry about Viren. He’s gone and left his own son for the king to be a second father too. Soren was more happier without his father, than he was with his father and sister. 

Yes, Claudia left with Viren and never bothered to tell Soren that. Cue frightened and scared older brother. 

“I’m glad he left and I’m sorry about your son’s heartbreak.” Runaan says, nodding to the empty chair that Callum had sat in not a few minutes ago. 

“I am sorry for your, nieces too. Why don’t we chat about something positive like the wedding?” 

“Staying optimistic, you’re a good man, King Harrow.” Ethari comments earning a nod of agreement from Runaan and a small, kind, smile from Harrow. 

“Please, just call me Harrow.” 

* * *

  
  
  


Rayla had never seen such flowers before. Baby Breaths and Poppy seeds were everywhere. The garden had a fountain in the center of it and a row of ferns surrounding it. To anyone, it looked to be an ordinary garden, but to Rayla it feels different. Radiates something warm and welcoming. 

Like _home_ and _love_. 

She had lost track of Callum once she stopped for apples for herself and him. She knew he was here, judging by the way the workers at the garden were avoiding a certain area. Her heart hammers in her chest. 

Had her words really hurt him? She hadn’t met her words to sound… negative in anyway. She merely met that he owed her for startling her and injuring her. Something that could’ve been avoided if he had said something during the night or somewhere else. 

_Dang Rayla, you’re ruining this for both you and your families legacy._ A crude thought enters her mind and she waves it away. Her marrying a prince of Katolis did not matter to her social life, sure it could make people not remember her as the girl with failures of parents, but deep down she wants to make a new life for herself. It made sense. 

She finds herself following sounds of muttering and sniffles. The Xadian girl knew it must be Callum. He wasn’t at all subtle with his feelings. She relaxes when she finds him near a tree surrounded by butterflies and was sitting beside a not yet bloomed poppy seed. 

“Callum, I-” she’s what? Sorry? Rayla feels her mouth dry and her palms start to sweat. 

“It’s fine, Rayla.” Callum’s voice comes out as stiff and not cheerful or sweet as he was when they met in the throne room. He sounded- odd. Almost like he was crying.   
  


“No, its not. I’m sorry for making you feel like its your fault for hurting me. I never should’ve climbed that tree during night.” 

“You climbed trees at night?” The boys head raises just a tad to look at her. His eyes were red and he lowers his legs so he sat cross legged on the grass. 

“Yes, use to though. I was distracted with school and the academy after that.” She tells him and he backens her to sit down next to him, on his right. She notes that he leaves the space surrounding the unbloomed flower open and free. 

Rayla takes her spot not so close to him as she could do but close enough in a friendly way. She has a year to learn as much as she can about him. How to be a good princess to him and a wife. But she’ll take it with a grain of salt. Things happen and things don’t. 

They’re friends and they both dislike the law that bounded them together. Nothing else will happen. 

Soulmates be damn. 

“I love this garden, it was the one thing that kept me together after my mom died.” Callum tells her as he plays with the little butterflies and laughs as a tiny caterpillar climbs up his knee. “Besides my step-dad and baby brother, of course.” he adds as he looks at her with a smile. 

Rayla smiles back and leans back on her hands. She could get use to these talks in the garden. She feels relaxed here. 

“Yeah,” she agrees and they stay outside in the garden until the sun goes down and bed time is upon them. 

Rayla says goodnight to Callum and he does the same after she walks down the hall to her room. He only stays in the hall to make sure she’s safely in her room before sneaking down the hall towards his own room where his sketchbook is. 

Callum, feeling his heart warm at the positive memories he had shared with his new friend, Rayla, opens his box full of art supplies and sits down in front of his sketchbook. He begins to picture her in his room and beside a crib and his pencil begins drawing her without his knowledge. 

That night, his dreams were filled with a certain Xadian girl. For the first time since Claudia, Callum felt full and confident about his new found crush. 

(Yes, this boy is finally admitting it out loud. He likes the girl who threw curses at him at eleven years old.)


	2. Jelly Tarts!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of Rayllum Valentine week: First date (though it may not have gone as planned ;))
> 
> _______
> 
> “We shall make thou tarts, my lady,” he replies, bowing playfully with a hand behind his back and the other covering his heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, 
> 
> so this chapter is a direct sequel to the last one. They all are unless the future has other plans! Looking forward to seeing your reactions at the end of this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for all the kind words in the last chapter. I really enjoyed reading them! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Rayla hadn’t slept well in ages. Ever since she met Callum, the bags under her eyes had disappeared and she grew back her confidence. All within the first week she was with him. 

Callum was a blessing. 

The castle was beautiful these days. It was close to summer and the excitement for the summer solstice was contagious. Callum had told her all about it last night. They were in the garden again. But this time they sat close together and watched the stars. 

“The summer solstice will be here before we know it,” Callum had started the conversation and Rayla had listened quite closely. She made sure of it. “There’s dancing, festivals around the castle, a parade, all you can eat buffet!” He had listed off plenty of more activities but the girl had only stopped listening at one. Dancing. 

She doesn’t know how to dance. Well, she does know-how, but she had never had anyone watch her. Surely there would be a time that she has to learn how to but this spring solstice seems important to Callum. More important than anything he had ever told her before. Maybe Ethari could teach her how to waltz before then? 

“Hey, whatcha thinking about?” The prince looks at him would be princess and smiles. 

Rayla looks away, feeling suddenly bashful, but smiles. She looks down at her black leggings and green dress shirt she had on, feeling afraid that he would laugh at her face once she tells him that she couldn’t dance. Maybe he doesn’t know how either? 

_ No, he wouldn’t laugh.  _ The girl thinks as she tugs on her sleeves.  _ At least he told me that wearing clothes that make me comfortable is fine by him. _

“I- I can’t dance.” She confesses keeping her eyes low and away from the boy sitting on her left. 

Callum snorts and then chuckles. He receives a glare from Rayla and lifts his hands up for her to listen before judging him. “I can’t either. My father told me I have two left feet.” He jokes and his face switches to a gentle face and he moves the hair that blew in her face behind her ear. “But, I can teach you what my mother  _ did  _ teach me. If you want that, I mean?” 

_ I want you to teach me everything,  _ She knows that thought would come sooner than later. Her eyes met his and his hand cupped her cheek. She feels her cheeks warm. Really warm. 

“Yes, please.” She whispers and her eyes (those traitors) glanced down at his lips and then shot back up to his eyes. She was glad that she wasn’t the only one red in the face. Callum gave her a sheepish smile and moved his hand away from her face. He uses that hand to tug the red scarf on his neck a little. “Uh, sorry.” 

“Totally fine! Um, do you want to see what Ezran’s up to?” The squeak of his voice doesn’t go unnoticed by Rayla, and she grabs his fingers as she gets up. She tugs him away from the poppy seed once he was up. 

She doesn’t let go of his hand. Callum doesn’t want her to. He doesn’t show any sign of pulling his hand away either.

They don’t speak much, not until they get closer to the kitchens where the little prince is known to be lurking around. Callum had told her that his little brother is obsessed with jelly tarts and they were once thieves of the kitchen. It wasn’t until Callum had to do more princely duties that Ezran had slowed down on his thieving attempts. The little prince made an effort to help the baker, Barius, out in exchange for Jelly Tarts which made the prince's day even sweeter. 

“Hey Ez, you in here- what?!” Callum manages to tug Rayla close to him as a piece of dough flies past them. He feels his face heat again once he notices Rayla’s face mere inches from his. Her hands were on his biceps and her eyes widened with surprise. “Uhhh, hi,” he says, smiling big at her and she snorts and rolls her eyes. 

“Hi.” She repeats and backs away from him to smooth out her shirt. 

“Oh shi- sorry! Bait and I were having a food fight!” The thirteen-year-old prince says with a dough battered smile on a dough battered face. His clothes were filled with jelly and powder. He also had glow toad paw prints on his shirt too. 

“Ez, please clean this up. Me and Rayla-” 

“Want to have a date here. Got it, bro!” With that, the little prince took off for the closet that held rags and cleaned up supplies. 

Callum groans as he rolls his eyes where his brother once stood.  _ Not what I meant but fine.  _

“Your plan failed,” Rayla spoke up after a few minutes of silence between them. Her tone was light and full of amusement. 

“I know,” the prince groans again as he walks to grab a towel and starts  wiping down the table that had powder  _ Bait's footprints  _ on it. “You can tease me after this is all said and done.” 

“Oh, dummy, I am already doing that.” came the snickering reply, and the boy looked over his shoulder at her. She was leaning against the door with a hand over her mouth, indicating that she was holding back laughter. Her hair falls over her face as she looks down. 

Callum’s heart skips a beat.  _ Gods, it feels like I knew her since childhood.  _

His mind was clouded with her in his room, wearing one of his shirts while holding a baby in her arms. He didn’t notice that he had activated his soulmate abilities again. First with telepathy and now when he sees his soulmate in front of him, he can see the future that they (hopefully) have together. Something that he inherited from his biological father it seems. Two soulmate abilities. 

He swallows.  _ Keep it together. The last thing you want is to startle her again. Some research will have to be done to figure out how to go from here.  _

“Hey guys, I’m back but I can’t find the mop- am I interrupting something?” Ezran’s voice makes Callum jump out of his skin, and bump his hip on the edge of a chair. He rolls his eyes when Rayla doubles over in laughter and he follows suit. Ezran, however, stays confused. 

“No, Ez, no you’re not. Your brother is just being clumsy.” Rayla says once she recovers from her laughing fit. Her cheeks had a cute shade of pink on them. “Do you need help finding something?” 

“No,” the boy sighs, looking between her and his brother. “I’ll ask Barius. You two just keep being weird.” He snortles as he turns towards where the baker’s office is. 

Callum blinks. What was that about? 

Before he could get too far into his head, Rayla glanced at him with a knowing look on her face, unknowingly melting his heart. She puts her hands on her hips and leans her back against the door frame. “Well, your highness, are we going to bake those Jelly Tarts or what?” she asks, cocking her eyebrow at him and he shakes his head with the corners of his mouth curling upwards. 

“We shall make thou tarts, my lady,” he replies, bowing playfully with a hand behind his back and the other covering his heart. 

Rayla laughs something that he deeply wants to hear more of when he nearly drops a steel pan that hasn’t been used by anybody. 

* * *

  
  


Rayla and Callum both went into the garden once again for their daily chats, this time they had a plate of jelly tarts and a bottle of moon berry wine (Ethari made sure to warn them about drinking responsibly) in their possession. They made sure to clean up their mess and help Ezran with his, and to reward the prince with jelly tarts since he helped distract the bakers while they snagged a few glasses and a basket to put the leftovers in. 

To say that that hour was  _ easy  _ would be an understatement. It was nerve-wracking for Rayla. She had only known the bakers and a few of the royal staff for a few weeks, and she had wanted to keep a good relationship with them... Callum had told her not to worry. It was like he was used to this type of thing. Maybe he was. 

She’d have to ask him about it later. 

She watches the older prince lean back on his elbows in his spot next to the poppy seed flower. Rayla heard him sigh when he closed his eyes. It made her heart flutter. 

Then a vision flashed in front of her, a small gentle hand holding hers and a pair of emeralds looking at her with love, and soon it was gone. A blink and miss kind of deal. But she remembers it perfectly. She doesn’t remember making a noise of surprise, but Callum sat up and put his hands on her shoulders while looking at her, concerned dawning on his face and in his eyes. 

“What is it? Was it something I said that offended you? Do I need to get somebody-” the older prince rambles on and Rayla shakes her head, her mouth and throat going dry. She tries to speak but nothing comes out. “Then what is it?” 

The girl frowns looking down in her lap and shrugs off his hands when she tries to get up. “I’m fine. I-I’m just tired, is all.” she lies as she watches him stand as well. “You didn’t do anything, Callum,” she says it faster than she intended to. Her heart warms as he takes a step closer to her. 

“Do you want me to pack up a few jelly tarts for you to eat in your room? I can return the wine to Ethari and tell him that we’ll have it later.”  _ This sweet prince.  _ Rayla feels a shockwave run through her as one of his hands brush her fingers. She retracts her hand from his as if she had been burnt. “Rayla?” he sounds hurt or reluctant to ask again. His face shows his worries clear as day; her. He can’t keep his face from falling when the Xadian girl backs away from him. 

“I-its nothing, really, Callum. You’re just so-”  _ Adorable, expressive, kind?  _ She doesn’t know how or what to tell him.  _ That I’m seeing the future with you and me? A future that may change according to our actions?  _ She thinks, dryly, feeling her heartache as the prince in front of her looks heartbroken. 

Callum runs a hand through his hair, refusing to make eye contact with her again. His cheeks turn a darker shade of red as he kneels to pick up the basket and the jelly tarts. He doesn’t touch the wine. He looks up at her and gives a half-hearted smile. One that managed to melt her heart once more. 

Her heart leaps in her throat. 

“I-I-” She tries to keep her face neutral but it falls the minute Callum stands and pulls her to him. Her head lays comfortably on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for ruining this,” she whispers, a stray tear running down her cheek which the boy wipes away with the back of his finger. 

She wraps her arms around his waist and doesn’t let go. Her heart wouldn’t let her. She doesn’t like admitting things, hard things. Feelings being one of them. The vulnerability was something she hated. It was on her top two lists next to the water. 

“You never ruined anything, Rayla.” Callum pulls away from her for a second and places his head on hers. His hands move to her small of her back, where he runs one up and down her back. “You can tell me anything, you know that? The garden is a keeper of secrets too. Nothing will leave this spot.” he promises, and his voice catches as he realizes just how close his face was to hers. He doesn’t pull away, instead, his eyes captured hers. 

“I can suddenly see visions.” the girl blurts out, loudly. 

“You too!” 

“Wha- you’re telling me you see visions of the future too?!” She hisses, unknowingly pushing him against the tree. She stops moving when he grunts, pulling away from him with a bashful look on her face, that quickly turns serious again once he nods. “When did you start seeing them?” 

“Just a few days ago. Why? When did  _ you  _ start seeing them?” 

“Ten minutes ago.” 

Callum stares at her for a moment looking like he had forgotten to breathe, and then his eyes widen in alarm. He grabs the basket and the unopened wine bottle and puts them in one hand and grabs her fingers using his free hand. “To the library!” he announces, Rayla being pulled along feeling baffled. 

“You have a library?” 

* * *

  
  


Ethari found the prince and his would-be princess in the library, asleep. Rayla had her head resting on Callum’s as his hands were interlocked with hers. Their chairs were moved closer together so they weren’t uncomfortable. 

What made him curious was the number of books stacked on their table. So naturally, the jeweler went over to take a peek at the content they were reading. His heart flutters when the name,  _ soul-bond,  _ comes up as one of the titles of the books. 

Has Rayla experienced another ability? 

Having two soul-bonding abilities went unheard of by their Xadian culture, and it was rare to find people with an already existing soul-bond to have another. It puzzled Ethari that Rayla and Callum both activated another ability close to the same time. 

_ What does this mean for them if word gets out about their abilities? There would be conflict on both sides. What must we do to assure the safety of these kids?  _ Ethari thinks as he hurries to extract a book from under Rayla’s arm. The one that was talking about the soul-bond abilities. He had lifted her arm just enough to slide the book out from under her when a hand landed on his shoulder. He keeps himself quiet as he whirls around to look at the person who had startled him. 

It was Runaan. Slowly, the man relaxes and gives his husband a warm smile in greeting once his heart calms. 

“What were you doing, my heart?” Ethari knew that his husband would ask such questions and so he showed him the book. However, Runaan gives him a head tilt as if to say ‘I don’t know what game you're playing but explain anyway.’ 

Ethari sighs. “Rayla and Callum may have just acquired a new soul-bond ability which is incredibly rare and people with them are valuable. If the wrong people hear about this…” he stops whispering as his husband breathes sharply through his nose. 

“Then it could mean trouble for everyone involved.” Runaan finishes, stealing a glance at his sleeping niece. His eyes bore guilt and wisdom as he returned to his husband’s gaze. “We should tell the king.” He suggests silently as he watches his heart’s face fall with nerves. “Come, let’s leave the couple to rest. I’m sure the king’s office is safer than in the library when hearing such grave news.” 

“Agreed, love.” 

* * *

  
  


“This is quite concerning, indeed.” King Harrow hums as he sits back in his reclining chair at the king’s office. “Both our countries may not like that a prince and a general’s daughter, both of whom are powerful in their own ways, have two abilities. It’s rare  _ and  _ dangerous.”

“King Harrow, with all due respect, our niece is capable of handling people twice her size. Is your son strong in combat?” Runaan asks, leaning against the table where the book was placed in the center. He and Ethari were both sitting in cushioned seats but they felt the need to sit on the edge to focus on this task. 

“He has magic on his side. He knows how to defend himself using basic hand to hand combat, at the most. Since that is required as a prince to know how to protect yourselves until help arrives.” 

“Isn’t he an archmage?” Ethari hums, sharing a glance at Runaan before turning to face the king again. 

King Harrow nods. “He is. He studied under Master Ibis and then a few other primal mages for years before being called archmage by many.” 

“Then he will know when a spell has been cast?” 

“Tell me, what are you getting at exactly?” 

Runaan clears his throat. “King Harrow, Ethari, and I must go back to Xadia and contact our leaders to provide more protection against any threats that come from Xadia. I know it’s sudden and we must leave now, but here in Katolis is where Rayla is safer now.” his throat feels tight when he glances at his husband for agreement. It pains them both that they must leave Rayla under these circumstances, but they will surely see her again soon. May it be sooner rather than later. 

_ May the gods are with us,  _ Runaan thinks as he sees the king nod grimly at them before standing. It was then that Runaan and Ethari, with King Harrow providing support, started writing a letter to Rayla, explaining to her the situation and that they will reunite again soon. 

King Harrow agrees with the silent statement that was said among all three men in the room: It’s best to prepare for the worse rather than expect anything good from conflict. 

The two Xadian men left to grab their belongings and to leave the letter with the king to deliver to their niece after they leave the town. 

* * *

Callum wakes up an hour later with a crick in his neck and fingers tangled with his on the table. He blinks. Had they slept in the library for an hour?

Rayla groans as he shifts underneath her, and forces herself awake. She untangles her hands from his to smooth out her hair and clothes. She breaths. She’ll be sore in the morning. 

“Ah Prince Callum, Lady Rayla, there you are, King Harrow wants to speak with you two urgently.” A guard says quickly, bowing, and leaving before Callum could ask them anything else.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Callum mutters, frowning as he stands up and helps Rayla to her feet. He doesn’t let go of her hand and he interlaces hers with his once they were ready to leave the library. 

The prince glances at the table once and notices a very subtle book was missing. His father or somebody from the library must’ve taken it thinking that they were finished since they had been sleeping for an hour. Rayla notices it too and squeezes his hand in agreement. 

_ She knows, Callum. You don’t have to share your worries anymore.  _ His mind tells him as he was tugged by Rayla out of the library. 

Harrow had been waiting in the throne room. A tense look on his face. Though, his eyes were gentle. 

"You wanted to see us, King Harrow?" Callum asks, squeezing Rayla's hand in support. 

"Yes, Prince Callum. You and Lady Rayla are in danger and it came from Runaan and Erhari that you two have more than one soul-bond ability?" The king manages to say. Rayla looks at him with widened eyes. 

"Did they find us in the library?" She asks, cheeks flaring up as she tugs her hand away from the prince’s to slide it down her face. "Oh, gods have mercy…" 

"Afraid so," Harrow says, apologetic but still wearing his serious face. "You may not understand about the severity of having two soul-bond abilities, but I assure you that things will get better." 

Rayla frowns. Just because they had two abilities their world is suddenly different than anyone who has one? 

Harrow pulls out a letter and walks up to the Xadian girl with a tentative smile. "Your uncles wanted you to have this before they left. Runaan said that you'll be safer here than in Xadia." 

Rayla's blood ran cold.  _ They left? Just like my parents? Without saying goodbye?  _

Callum puts a steady hand on her arm and turns her towards him. His eyes bore so much love and understanding that the girl feels like tearing up. Next to him, Harrow looks ashamed and hesitant about the letter. The prince looks at his father, his hands wrapping protectively around the girl he was planning to be engaged with. 

"We must prepare for anything. Tell us what we need to do, dad." Callum says, his voice cracking at the end and the king gives him a thoughtful look. 

"Stay inside and don't come out, even to the garden." Harrow finally says and Rayla could feel her heartbreaking as she sees Callum’s face fall. "I'm sorry son." The king apologizes before the prince gives out a small sob. 

The garden was the only place where he felt safe and welcome. Where he could go whenever he felt anxious. The garden was always warm and happy. 

“You can have guards stationed around the garden, I know how much it's dear to you Callum,” Harrow says, but it goes on deaf ears while his son sobs into Rayla’s shoulder. The king wanted to hug his son but after delivering the bad news, Harrow didn’t want to push him. “I’m sorry, son.” 


	3. Coco helps a healing heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum pulls away from her first. His eyes bloodshot red and puffy from crying. He chuckles dryly as he places his head against hers once more. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Rayla.” He’s apologizing? For crying?
> 
> ____
> 
> Day 3!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got stuck with this chapter. It's not long like the last couple was, so I apologize for that! Enjoy day 3!

Rayla felt like the earth was being swept from under her. She curls her arms around Callum in support as his body shakes from the reckoning sobs. She could feel his arms pulling her close to him as if  _ she _ was the last thing that mattered to him now. 

She probably was. 

Her hands went up to his hair, feeling how soft it is under her touch, also noticing how he relaxes into her with a sigh. He buries his face in her neck. Rayla rubs a gentle hand up and down his back in soothing patterns. Her face feels hot as she leans her head against Callum’s. 

There were things that she couldn’t believe herself. That her uncles left without saying goodbye to her, in hopes that they reunite soon. Her heart aches for that reason and she could tell Callum had other stuff to work through too. He wouldn’t be allowed in his mother’s garden without an escort. No privacy anymore. 

It hurts Rayla knowing that he was hurting. 

Callum pulls away from her first. His eyes bloodshot red and puffy from crying. He chuckles dryly as he places his head against hers once more. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Rayla.” He’s apologizing? For crying?

The girl takes his head in her hands and wipes tears away from his cheeks. “Dummy, never apologize for showing your emotions. Let’s go rest. I think we both need a nap right now.” she suggests, hesitating at first before kissing him on the cheek. She pulls her hands away too and clears her throat before leading them out of the throne room. She doesn’t pull away when Callum grabs her fingers and kisses them sweetly. 

“Thanks,” he mumbles as he holds their hands between them. His hair was messy and long and Rayla wonders if he’ll let her cut it. 

He does. 

She feels strangely proud of herself. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Callum forgets how to breathe as he looks at her. Her hair splayed out on the pillows. He turns away, feeling bashful. His hair was neatly trimmed by Rayla in her room and he had nearly fallen asleep at the feeling of her hands in his hair. 

Does he love her hands in his hair? Since when does he think these things? 

Callum shakes his head. He needs to focus. 

“Callum?” She lifts herself back up by her elbows and grins at him. The reason she was like that, in the first place, was because she was  _ tired  _ after trimming  _ his  _ hair. “You okay?” 

The boy gulps smiles with a nod in her direction. He’s breathless. Her confused expression is adorable. 

“Oh okay,” she sighs but gets up and turns her head towards him. “Do you want to have some hot chocolate? I heard that chocolate really helps people feel better.” 

Callum puts his hand on top of hers and tangles his fingers between the spaces. She smiles gently at him, kissing his cheek before pulling him up to lead him out of her room. The girl he was planned to marry was slowly making him fall in love with her evermore. 

He doesn’t plan on letting her go anytime soon. 

“I would like nothing more,” he breathes, barely missing a beat. He almost says the three words too. The danger words. But he stops himself. She needs time, and he’ll give her as much time as she needs. Right now, they need to relax after an emotional day like today.

There’s always tomorrow. Even the day after. 

* * *

  
  


Rayla breathes in the warm beverage, feeling the warmth spread throughout her body when she takes a sip. She sits across from Callum in his room on his bed after the two went to the kitchens to get hot cocoa. The boy in front of her had a small whip cream mustache above his lips and she snorted when he gave her a funny look. 

“You just whipped up a mustache, Callum? It’s cute!” Rayla howls in laughter as he struggles to wipe the whipped cream off his face. She sets her hot cocoa down on his light table and reaches over to wipe his mouth with her finger, not thinking about the consequences of her actions… 

A hand catches her wrist. A heartbeat passes between that and the fact Rayla is just now realizing how intimate her actions were. The heat rising up her neck. Callum’s red face when he pulls her wrist down into his lap. His eyes fell onto her lips, and she does the same for him. The girl feels her body being pulled closer to the prince. 

Then their lips touched and the hot cocoa was forgotten. 

* * *

  
  


Callum breaks the kiss for air and his heart feels fuller than it did before… Rayla. Her hands went into his hair and back of his neck, and she rested her head against his. Her tiny sigh carries over to his ears and he could feel her face heating as he raises a hand on her cheek. 

“Hot cocoa, best beverage for everyone.” Rayla teases, tilting her head upwards to capture his lips once more. 

Callum hums happily, all his worries about future events, disappear for the time being. Including visiting the garden that he loves. He’ll visit. Even if he risks his safety. 

Just to see if the poppy seed he had planted by his mother's tree had bloomed. 

* * *

**(Edit: They cuddle with Callum nearly spilling his hot cocoa because of course, he doesn’t think straight when Rayla is with him. Sorry, this chapter was short. :))**


	4. Welp (romantic mishap)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her door opens with a squeak and Rayla closes her eyes to keep her head from screaming for mercy. She knows who it was coming into her room. 
> 
> Callum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry. 
> 
> This is a short one too, but to that anon who requested it to be none tearful Rayllum, well.... here you go. The exact opposite. You’re welcome! 
> 
> But for everyone else, I’m so sorry. 
> 
> It gets heavy but just a little.

Rayla crawls beneath the covers, feeling like she was about to die, which definitely  _ wasn’t  _ what was happening. Her nose was the one that was killing her breathing ability. She’ll have to breathe through her mouth for the rest of the time her cold stays. 

Yes, she’s finally admitting that she has a cold. Her evilest enemy. 

Her bed was big enough for her to spread herself out while resting on her stomach, with tons of blankets over her since the temperature was freezing. Or… it was just her body playing tricks on her? That could very much be the case. 

Rayla groans as she buries her head deeper in her pillow and adjusts herself to be more comfortable amongst the aches her body was more than happy to give her. She never once had this worse of a cold during childhood. Was it because she was an adult now? Do adults get worse diseases? Wasn’t she young enough to still have the lesser symptoms? 

Her door opens with a squeak and Rayla closes her eyes to keep her head from screaming for mercy. She knows who it was coming into her room. 

_ Callum. _

His hand rests on her shoulder blade as the bed dips under his weight. He was so gentle, Rayla doesn’t deserve him, but she does. He sets something, something that smells  _ wonderful _ , next to her bed on the table. 

“Don’t come near me, Cal. I’ll get you sick too.” She hates how small her voice sounds as her prince rubs her back in comforting motions. Her aches were dissipating but new ones always show up once she relaxes. 

“I don’t care,” Callum snorts as he bends down to kiss her hair, and Rayla believes him. He does care. For  _ her _ . Not about getting himself sick. “I’m here to take care of you. Since you helped me out-” 

_ When the king told us to stay inside,  _ Rayla thinks as she turns her head to look at Callum. She knows that it hurts him still. Not being able to visit his special spot and the poppy seed that still hasn’t bloomed yet.. She gives her prince a small appreciated smile when his hands rubbed a particular achy spot on her shoulder. 

“Thanks,” Rayla mumbles, eyes fluttering shut when Callum lowers his hand to work on her hip. He was so gentle, and cute, and always strays away from the spots that made her hiss in discomfort. Her sick achy bones were both a blessing and a curse. To her. Maybe not to the poor staff men that had to handle her sick clothes and endless tissues that had been steadily filling up the second trash can since this morning. 

“You’re very welcome,” Callum whispers, leaning over her and kissing her hot feverish forehead. “Are you hungry? Barius and I came up with something that can help your cold and keep your food down for a while.” Oh man, he’s so sweet too. 

Rayla’s eyes were falling on their own without her consent, and that must’ve been enough of an answer for Callum, because he chuckles and puts something warm on the small of her back. It was warm and relaxing. Like a wave of non-achy goodness. 

She was suddenly feeling weak and light headed. Her head barely being able to hold herself up and she lays it on her pillow where she could see Callum. At least between eyelashes. His comforting smile was gentle and warm and it made her feel  _ safe _ . 

And something else she couldn’t think of at the moment. 

“I’ll be here when you wake up,” the prince- no- her prince tells her as he gets up from the bed and walks over to the couch with his sketchbook already out. “promise.” 

Rayla dozes off after seeing his tender smile. 

* * *

  
  
  


Callum was sleeping with his head on the edge of the couch when Rayla woke up from her nap. His hair was in his face and a small smile was spread lazely on his lips. The girl’s heart flutters seeing him so calm and relaxed. 

Would he be fine if she were to slide in next to him and lay her head down on his shoulder? Maybe even hold his hand and kiss each finger? Would he do the same to her if he caught her snoozing away?

Rayla glances down at something laying on her prince’s lap. It was the sketchbook- and it was open. She doesn’t know if she should open it or not. 

Callum definitely won’t enjoy having his privacy violated. 

She stares at it. It was closed. Callum must’ve shut it before he fell asleep? Probably to prevent someone from snooping or from getting drool all over his sketches? 

Rayla went with both possibilities. 

So she lays her head on his shoulder, heart fluttering when he murmurs some sleepy nonsense before laying on top of hers. The boy was absolutely adorable when he did this. Can they keep this peace forever? 

Unfortunately, a woman in white and gold robes knocks once and enters their room (Rayla doesn’t know why she came to that conclusion) and stops in front of the coffee table. Her eyes showed no emotion though she was probably told to keep a neutral expression while informing a higher up. 

Something told Rayla that this woman was bringing news to them. Probably from Ethari and Runaan, or the king perhaps? But something wasn’t right. Rayla could see that this woman was hiding something due to her unrelaxed state. 

“My apologies, your highnesses,” she begins, clearing her throat loudly and Callum stirs awake besides Rayla. “But the king has an urgent request for you to hear.” 

Callum shifts onto the edge of the couch and straightens his posture, his eyes focused on the woman as if she was someone important (she probably was but Rayla was still too sick to concentrate). He nods for the woman to continue. 

“He wants you and Prince Ezran to go to the Banther Lodge. He asks that you and Rayla start packing your things and leave by sunset.” The woman says, bluntly and Callum rises from his couch. 

“But what for? That’s the winter lodge and it's summer. Where is he?” the prince asks, stepping around the table and facing the woman. Rayla notices his growth in recent weeks. He’s now up to the woman’s head as he stares at her with confusion and concern. “Lady Opeli,  _ please  _ tell me what’s going on?” 

“I’m sorry my prince, but King Harrow specifically requested that I keep certain subjects silent.” 

“So he’s sending us away without an explanation?” Callum looks down and Rayla feels her heart squeeze painfully in her chest as his eyes glossy up. His voice rises when his head rises again, “I’m staying. No one can change my mind.” He glances at the girl quickly before looking straight at Opeli with a steel gaze. “I’m going to talk to the king.” he announces and begins to walk away. 

“You can’t, Prince Callum!” The cleric yells suddenly, all calm presence gone and replaced by regret and- disbelief? “Your father is-” she begins to talk but Callum beats her to it. 

“Just stop it! What’s so bad about seeing my father?!” 

Rayla gets up when Opeli opens her mouth and catches Callum when he collapses from the shock that hits him. She feels his body go slack beneath her. His mouth was open as his screams filled the room and the cleric looked heartbroken for the boy after telling him the news. 

_ “Your father was assassinated.”  _

* * *

  
  
  


Ezran runs. Bait follows. Slowly. 

The boy was running through the streets with guards following close behind him, his heart beating painfully in his chest as onlookers stared at him with concern and panic. He could feel the air thicken around him everytime he passed another building. The essence of something once alive was now used as something  _ evil and wrong.  _ That thing was following  _ him.  _ The guards would defend him but they would be overpowered by this dark entity that was a silent killer. 

Ezran was its target. The boy had a sinking feeling on who its master was. Viren. The man who was once called High Mage for his father. Now, Viren will be in his nightmares as the man who killed Harrow. The crown prince was thirteen and now will be crowned king of Katolis. All because his father sent Viren and his daughter away when they violated the law by performing dark magic under the king's nose. 

A roar sounded off behind the boy and the remaining crownguard that was still (sadly the only one) alive, Soren. A shrill roaring came after and Ezran blood ran ice cold as the thought of two silent monsters giving chase. Bait was suddenly picked up and Ezran was thrown over somebody’s shoulder. 

Soren takes a sharp corner to the left and Ezran sees a small glimpse of the silent killer, a dark clouded being with gold eyes and shadow like tusks. The boy turns his head away and closes his eyes. 

His father getting his soul sucked out by that Soul Serpent was beyond messed up. Something a thirteen year old should  _ never  _ have to see in their life. 

Soren says nothing to Ezran, as he too is processing what his father had done to the king, which is understandable. The crownguard has been stationed near the gates for no longer than a month and had wanted to be near the kings side. Ez believes that it was because Harrow treats Soren like another son. That means, to the young king, that the crownguard that was currently carrying him over his shoulder, was his honorary elder brother. 

If the circumstances weren’t so dire, Ez would  _ definitely  _ laugh at the prospect of Callum being the middle sibling. Monkey in the middle so to speak. 

“Da- Viren,” Soren starts out as he plops the thirteen year old on the ground near the bakery, after making sure the gloomy monster thing wasn’t following them. Ez notices that he stops himself calling Viren dad. It's sad but he knows it has to be done. “I'm expecting you to be running back to the castle, so we’re taking you to the Banther Lodge. It’s where your brother and Lady Rayla would be, most likely.” 

Most likely. 

Ezran frowns remembering that Callum would be willing to protect him at all cost, Harrow too. The older prince has trained for the moment to protect his king and brother from dark mages. Fight pure magic with un-pure magic so to speak. But isn’t Viren stronger than Callum? His idiotic brother could get himself killed if he hasn’t learned to outsmart the old High Mage yet. 

Soren stays quiet for most of the walk through the woods, only speaking up to tell Ez where to go (“Sorry Ez, but climbing trees can wait.”), which the young king knew already. 

Ezran just wants to crawl underneath the wooly blankets and dream that his father was still around to tuck him into bed (he knows he’s too old for that but he regrets taking  _ that  _ for granted). Maybe if he meets Callum there then the tradition can live on? Would it be weird? Just to be a kid again? Even if it's just for one day. 

Soren makes a noise and the young king looks up, alert. But the crownguard was just giving him a look. Curious? “I haven’t seen Callum in a month since I was stationed by the gates. How is he? I heard he has an arranged marriage?” Soren looks… weirdly interested in this concept? 

“Yeah, with an Xadian name Rayla. She’s super smart and nice! I think she likes sparring too! Callum’s doing great, I think he and Rayla are doing great too. You’ll probably hate how sappy they are.” Ezran says, smiling wide knowing that his brother was waiting for him at the lodge. “I think you and Rayla would get along well!” He adds cheerfully. Bait croaks in agreement.

Soren relaxes and gives the younger boy a pat on the back while laughing. “Well, I’ll definitely need to tease Callum about this girl when we see him again, then. Seems like a good catch!” 

“I think the arranged marriage went better that dad thought it would to be honest. Dad hasn’t seen Callum so happy since…” Ez’s voice cracks, and Soren smiles understanding the unspoken feelings and person that the young king was saying. He knew Sarai while growing up in the castles, before his father and younger sister were banished after getting caught doing dark magic illegally, and before Ezran was born. 

“I’m glad he’s going to have a happier life now. I just regret not taking the blow for King Harrow.” 

“What do you mean, Soren? You did all that you could! Don’t talk like that!  _ Please _ !” Ezran cries, turning to stand in front of his blonde friend. 

Soren smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I just thought Viren would take pity on me for  _ something _ . He  _ never _ was kind to me like he was to Claudia.” He says and his jaw trembles at the thought of his little sister being hurt by that man. He clears his throat. “Let’s continue walking, Ez. Lady Opeli and the others are probably worried about us.” 

Something made Ezran shiver at the thought and he turned forwards again towards the lodge when Soren picked Bait up. The boy looks around, listening, and wondering why the forest has gone quiet. 

Suddenly, a voice pops out of the tree above them, startling Soren and spooking Ezran a little before he recognizes the voice. 

“We meet again, Young Ezran. Apologies that our protection never came any sooner. Our condolences.” Ethari carries a short bow and rests it on his shoulder while he kneels on the tree branch with his husband, Runaan, standing on his right. 

“Does anyone care to explain this to me?” Soren asks, pointing to the Xadian’s and to the lodge's path. 

Runaan nods and with one fluid motion, jumps and lands on the ground about three feet away from the teenager and crownguard. Ethari follows suit and pulls an arrow out from his quiver strapped to his back. 

“It’s a long story.” Runaan starts while walking backwards as he holds twin blades in each hand. “But short quick story, blame genetics.” 


	5. Poppy seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Rayla,” he gasps as she kisses him on the lips. “Did you flirt with me using your telepathy?” 
> 
> “I don’t know, did I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this came out darker than I intended. Just a fair warning! Last update for a while due to my Friday afternoon class. I’ll try to write some of it in the morning though. 
> 
> Enjoy peeps!

Callum’s lightning spell misses the dummy by an inch, and the prince groans in defeat. His shoulders slump in exhaustion before he looks over at the girl he plans to be engaged to. Her shoulders straight and her legs stretched wide in a fighting stance. Her hair was in a tight ponytail that Callum had helped her with an hour ago. 

Her dark green and black jumpsuit was making her even more attractive to Callum. Her curves and her slender waists kept his eyes from focusing clearly. It would be a crime to think that his future wife was- attractive and spirited- before even confessing his true feelings to her. Which he will. Once this confusing period mallows out. 

They have both agreed, after countless discussions, that they go to the Banther Lodge during the evening after sparring together. To meet up with Ezran… and try to figure out a plan.

Callum had shown Rayla some of his magic during their nighttime dates. Rayla was so mesmerized by his magic that she nearly forgot where they came from. Fortunately for them, Callum knew where they were so they never got lost. 

Rayla looks back over her shoulder at him and smiles encouragingly at him. Her smile warms his heart, beneath the grieving heart that still beats for his stepfather. The prince smiles back and positions his legs and body to relax for another go with his aim. 

Callum closes his eyes and draws the rune, feeling the electric currents of the storm move through his veins, and he murmurs the word  _ Fulmonis.  _ He opens his eyes as the lightning collides with the dummy and explodes in a pile of hay and sand. His heart flutters when he looks over and sees Rayla smiling at him. 

_ Your aim is impressive, Mr. Mage.  _ the small voice that he hasn’t heard in a while (now grown in adulthood) speaks through his mind and he gasps watching the girl sheath her swords and walk up to him. Her face was clearly shadowed by something… dark and it made Callum’s face burn. Was she using her soul-abilities to- flirt? 

“Rayla,” he gasps as she kisses him on the lips. “Did you flirt with me using your telepathy?” 

“I don’t know, did I?” she giggles and nibbles his bottom lip. He groans and pulls her close. 

“We need to focus,” He says, after kissing her intensely. He kisses her neck once and pulls away. “We need to go to the lodge now.” His voice got tight for a minute and then he turned around swiftly to cover his front from her view. 

Rayla raises an eyebrow at him and then shakes her head in amusement. Dummy. 

* * *

  
  


The walk to the lodge was hasty and uneventful, despite growing concern for running into trees (mainly a Callum problem for his inability to not be clumsy) and they kept their focus either way. 

Their main objective was to keep Ezran safe since he’s the new king. That news info never settled well with the older prince. His fear of losing his brother was surreal once Rayla sees snapped trees scattered on the ground, and dried blood pooling behind bushes. They never found any bodies. No smell of decay nor noise of howling wolves were present. 

It feels like a trap, Rayla thinks as she keeps one hand on her princes and the other on her closest sword. Her heartbeat raced at the thought of being too late to save Ez- no she shall not think that thought. Illusions were messy. They could heal the brain but mess with the mind, or mess with the brain but heal the mind? 

That analogy settles her stomach even less as she squeezes her fiance's hand in reassurance, perhaps seeking reassurance herself. She fears for her friend's life. The first family member she met and created a bond with. Ez was just a kid. The thought of him being a  _ king  _ at thirteen was… startling to say the least. 

“Rayla, will you promise me something?” Callum speaks up, his voice raw from crying (he was walking away from the safety of his home because of some lunatic that killed his father) and his shoulders stiff with the million weights stacked against him. His eyes, when he glances down at her, were filled with determination and unshed fondness… and trust. “That you’ll keep fighting for me? Whatever happens tonight or even at dawn the next morning, that you won’t leave my side or my brothers?” 

Rayla opens her mouth then closes it as no words could come to mind. Was he looking for comfort? For resolution? That he wasn’t doing this for the safety of himself but for her and Ezran’s. 

“You’re the light of my world, Rayla. My mother would be jealous of my father that he got to meet you and not her.” her prince chokes the words as tears slip down his cheeks and he laughs as she wipes them away for him. Her eyes were stinging as well but no tears dare fall. Not again. She won’t break for a minute. “I may have to follow whoever this person is who killed my father and nearly killed my brother. I’m my brother's High Mage now. I’m responsible for protecting the crown and the people of Katolis.” 

“No,” Rayla begins and rests her forehead against his, her arms encircling his neck and pulls him down to her level. “I won’t leave you behind to fight a lunatic alone. I’m with you to the end. I  _ promise  _ you that.” She pulls him into a long kiss and he rests a hand on her hip with the other around on her lower back. 

“Is that a proposal, my lady?” He teases, breaking the tense air between them, and Rayla smiles with her eyes shining. “Then I’ll accept that.” He goes to kiss her again but stops when a cold breeze sweeps through their space. The wind shifts. 

The smell was intoxicating and Callum was loosening his grasp on Rayla as he tried to shake off the feeling of relaxation. He couldn’t be relaxed. This wasn’t meant to be relaxing. 

“Oh Callum, have I missed you so much!” A woman's voice enters their surroundings as Callum locks eyes with Rayla, hoping that if he kept looking at her then he’ll be resistant to the spell. But it felt so relaxing… “How’s Sore-bear doing?” 

“N-not missing you, Cl-Claudia!” Callum growls as Rayla looks around for the woman. 

“Oh, I’m crushed.” Claudia’s voice turns the air from a comfortable summer evening temperature right down to a winter’s night. “Care to introduce me to your new, princess?” 

“N-No!” Callum cries, shaking his head, and feels Rayla pull him closer to her. 

“Who are you? Show yourself!” the xadian girl yells and the dark mage cackles while muttering a spell that made Callum go limp into her arms. She swallows her fear as she pulls a sword out from her hand. 

“Aww, did Callum never mention me? Because he used to love me all those years ago! So sad that he’s only telling you one half of the truth.” Claudia laughs, and Rayla shakes her head in order to keep herself from giving in to her lies. They were lies. Callum wouldn’t keep things from her. “Poor girl. Learning that this boy hurt so many girls in his youth. How he paid them to sleep with him. Does he tell you he loves you?” 

Rayla felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes. No. She won’t let this- this- hooligan get into her head. 

“Stay out of my heart, Claudia.” Callum gets up and draws out a spell as quickly as Claudia did on her own. “And go away.” 

Claudia appears seven feet away from them and Rayla shivers at the half white half black-haired girl standing there. Her outfit was dark and menacing. Raggidy. Her face was grey and had purple veins running down her eyes and surrounding skin.

Her eyes showed shock and hesitation. “How did you resist that charm spell?” She asks, inching into her bag around her waist for an ingredient. 

Callum doesn’t back down his rune drawing and he glances at Rayla for a quick second before turning his attention back to the witch. “It's going to sound really cheesy, but it's the power of love.” He smirks at his confession and Claudia growls in disagreement. 

Rayla watches as the dark mage turns her eyes to her and she feels a cold rush of air in her face. 

“This is going to sound extra cheesier; this future husband of yours is a cheater.” 

Callum snorts, rolling his eyes. “You were the one that cheated Claudia. Stop lying.” 

Claudia doesn’t respond. She keeps her cold green eyes trained on Rayla. “ylgu reh ekam ,ecarg reh ekat ,ytuaeb reh ekat'' Her chanting was drowned out by high winds that surrounded Rayla suddenly and locked her into a vortex of black and purple lightning. 

Callum was flat on his back by the winds and a force was keeping him from getting up and dispelling the spell. He locks eyes with Claudia and she blows him a kiss before disappearing in dark grey smoke. The vortex separating moments later and a being collapses onto the ground with a loud  _ oof! _

The being was- interestingly similar to Rayla. Same hair. Same eyes. Her ears were pointy and her head had horns sprouting out her head as they belonged there. She was missing a finger. Two fingers. One on each hand. Her outfit stays the same but she was taller and leaner. Her fingers ran over her horns and winces as her fingers crossed over the rough surface. 

Callum swallows. What should he do? What does he say? Does he compliment her? Does he introduce himself again? His heart aches when he fears that she may have lost her memories. About them. Their love. 

“Callum,” the horned girl turns her head and meets his gaze. Her four hands reach for his but she pulls away once she  _ sees  _ her hands. She curls them to her chest and curls herself closer to her knees. As if to hide from the world. “Don’t, don’t leave.” She gasps, finally, finally looking up at him through her arms. Her xadian accent was the same. And beautiful. 

No matter what she’ll look like, no matter what she may think of herself, Callum will  _ always  _ think she’s  _ beautiful _ . 

A person’s appearance doesn’t equal their personality. That's what the prince will tell his soon-to-be princess every day, every hour, and every second. As long as they live. 

_ I love you, _ he tells her using their telepathic link for the first time in forever and the way she looks at him tells him that that is his girl. Callum watches her eyes grow softer and fonder as she crawls over to him and he pulls her close, finding himself more comfortable when he lays his chin between her horns. 

“I love you too,” she chokes out as she lets go of everything and sobs into his chest. 

“I’ll carry you on my back for the rest of the journey. You probably are tired from that spell.” 

“I’m taller than you now.” Rayla sniffles, pulling away to laugh at him. 

Callum smiles and kisses her forehead. “I’m an archmage. Your height means nothing to me, love.” 

_ Love,  _ she likes the sound of that. Especially coming from Callum. 

A moment passes between them and the two begin to trek their way to the Banther Lodge, this time taking a faster pace than they were slightly used to. 

Callum and Rayla both stop at the same time, before turning towards each other while a flash of the future passes them. But they were smiling big and cheerfully. With a kiss and a giggle, they run down the last curvy path to the lodge and not take a moment for discussion over the future. 

_ The poppy seed blooms during a summer day, a prince proposes to an elven girl in front of the tree. Their smiles radiate in the surrounding area. The clouds part and the sun shines over them.  _


	6. A promise and a surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How did you get these?” There’s concern laced in his voice too. Ethari snaps his head over to his husband and Rayla sighs, voice shaking with fear. 
> 
> “I was hit with dark magic.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe that this is the end! Oof I loved this! Thanks for everyone for all the support and for @raayllum on tumblr for hosting this. 
> 
> Now, time to start working on Chapter six of Rogues and Dragons for Thursday! 
> 
> Enjoy this conclusion!

They reached the Banther Lodge by the middle of the night and they were welcomed by a battalion of guards and soldiers from both Katolis and Xadia. Rayla rushes over to Ethari and Runaan once she spots them near the bridge separating the forest and the lodge. Callum runs over to his brother and pulls him into a crushing hug. 

The reunion was cut short when Ethari speaks, his voice small and worrisome. Callum looks over from resting his chin on his brother’s hair and sees Rayla in Ethari’s arms as Runaan stares at her horns. 

“How did you get these?” There’s concern laced in his voice too. Ethari snaps his head over to his husband and Rayla sighs, voice shaking with fear. 

“I was hit with dark magic.” 

The Xadian’s look at each other and some soldiers tighten their grips on their weapons. Callum sees Katolian soldiers murmur in confusion. Ezran makes a frightening noise. 

Soren clears his throat and everyone looks over at him. “Uh so, Prince Callum, care to introduce me to your girl?” he asks, breaking into a grin as he walks over to the prince. The prince looks appreciative of his friend for breaking the tense silence. 

“Soren, this is Lady Rayla.” As Callum introduces the xadian girl, Ethari smiles gently as he looks at Rayla. 

“Please to meet you, your highness,” Soren says, smiling at her and nodding. “I’m sort of Prince Callum’s best friend. A big deal,” he adds and nudges Callum in the ribs. 

“Ah, yes, _definitely_ my friend.” the older prince agrees and then staring pleadingly at Rayla who was still in the embrace of her uncle. 

“You two must be tired,” Ezran says, not looking like he was leaving his older brother’s side. “Let’s get you some food and call it a… day. You two need the rest since you arrived before midnight.” The little king yawns into his hand after he says this. 

Rayla feels Ethari unwrap his arms around her and she turns to face him. His face was gentle and sad. His niece suffered without his or Runaan’s protection. Of course, he would look sad. She would feel the same if Runaan or Ethari had gotten hurt.

He pushes her gently towards Callum and Ezran, her mind was racing at what it meant from her cultural standards. They were letting her go. Letting her grow up and be independent. Her eyes water as she turns to look at her uncles over her shoulders. Runaan looks the other way and hides his face with one hand. Rayla could swear that she sees a tear running down his cheek. He never cries in front of her. 

Ethari gives her a kiss on the forehead with a smile. “You’ve grown up so fast. Your parents would be so proud of you.” He sheds a tear as he holds her face in his hands. “We never told you what really came to be of your parents, Rayla. We never really knew what happened to them, either, until we heard about the fight to save Prince Azymondias.” 

Rayla inhales sharply as Runaan produces a little picture from his coat pocket. He hands it over to her before he wipes more tears away from his eyes. She exhales when she turns over the paper.

Callum smiles fondly at the family as Rayla throws an arm around each of her uncles and brings them close to her. He would wait for her to tell him about the picture and her parents, and he wouldn’t hold anything against her if she decides not to. His heart flips when Ezran tugs on his sleeve, his sleepy eyes looking grumpily at him, and the older prince stifles a laugh. 

Surely a thirteen-year-old king would show _some_ restraint. Callum knows that his brother was going to outgrow him someday, having been raised by two tall parents. Ezran was close to being near his chin if he counted the poofy hair. Callum was six foot seven and Ezran would be close to that height possibly in the next four years of being a teenager. 

For now, Callum would enjoy all the times his little brother hugs him and when he could rest his head down on his head (Ezran would be doing that one day cause why not?). The future was high for all of them. There’s no need to keep running to catch it. 

Rayla touches Callum’s arm and he looks up from his brother and grins at her. She gave him a tearful smile while wrapping her arms around both him and Ezran. Her head lays on his shoulder and she sighs quietly while closing her eyes. 

“Can we just- rest tonight? I think we all need to be close for now,” she asks so softly, almost soft enough that Callum couldn’t hear her. He hums in agreement and he picks up his sleepy brother (who wasn’t going to move no matter how much Jelly Tarts you’d promise him). He follows her quietly towards the entrance of the Banther Lodge, passing human and Xadian soldiers as they do. He reaches for her hands and interlocks them. 

“I love you,” Rayla kisses his cheek as she says this and pulls back to let him walk up the stairs towards the bedrooms. He was carrying his little brother (who’s up to his chin by the way) so he needs all the room he could get. The older prince gives her a wink before beginning to walk up the stairs. Rayla turns red as a strawberry and follows them up (so she could catch them if Callum slips). 

Callum was breathing heavily once he got to the top of the stairs and nudged his younger brother awake. Ezran seems to be even grumpier than normal and he nearly stumbles to the rooms, Rayla catching up to him for support. The archmage they left behind was slowly following behind, still winded after carrying his brother up those stairs. Callum hears a growl at the bottom of the steps and sees Bait wagging his tail with glow toad mischief written on his face. 

“You have got to be kidding me.” The prince grumbles but walks back down to the first level and picks up his brother’s pet. “You owe me.” He tells Bait who just grumps in return. 

Once they got to the room, Callum opened the door to see Ezran and Rayla curled up next to each other, both of them were out like a light. The prince lays Bait down on the bed and the glow toad plops himself on the young king’s feet. 

The archmage despite being exhausted stays up another hour to look at the stars and to reflect on certain situations and circumstances that happened today. He knows that Claudia and Viren are planning their next move but the question is when? Callum isn’t able to predict the future, let alone use star magic to do so. 

But knowing that his future was with Rayla and not Claudia, eases his mind enough for him to get some sleep. He eases himself out of his jacket so that he was wearing a shirt and his travel pants. He crawls into the bed with Ezran between him and Rayla and falls asleep once his head hits the pillow. 

* * *

  
  


Rayla wakes up to an empty bed and the smell of breakfast hitting her nostrils. Her body relaxes once she sees a red scarf hanging on a chair over a jacket. Callum must’ve awakened before her and had decided to let her sleep in. it was kind of him, but irritating also. She loves waking up at dawn to watch the sunrise. 

Still, she felt more awake now that she slept. Her new body was something. Her horns were annoying to sleep on her back and her fingers were feeling eerie every time she wiggled them. She misses her extra finger or her normal finger that is. Now, where would the ring go? On her pinky or on her middle finger? Rayla flushes at the thought of having a ring and showing her love for Callum to the public. But she loves him. A ring isn’t a sign of love between them. Their hearts are the sign of love. A ring is only something to let other women know that the man is taken. Rayla’s man. 

“Ray, you awake?” 

Speaking of her man, there he was standing in the doorway wearing a fond smile and carrying two plates of food. Rayla’s heart speeds up when he walks closer to her and sets the plates down on the table next to the bed. He sits beside her on the edge of the bed and his smile turns into a grin as he looks at her. 

“I’m awake, love.” Rayla answers, leaning up to kiss him on the mouth and he reciprocates. But before it could get any more passionate, Callum pulls away and motions to the food with a stupidly attractive smile. “Hey, you got my favorites!” 

“Of course I did, Rayla. You told me your favorite foods once.” He snorts, rolling his eyes and snatches a strawberry from her plate, and takes a bite off it. 

She did. At one of their dates that wasn’t a date but it was according to her. She had told him her favorite foods that she loved in Xadia, because he told her his. 

“Hey, that’s mine!” Rayla giggles, reaching for Callum’s hands that held another strawberry and he grins mid-chew at her. She lunges at him suddenly and the two fall onto the bed in heaps of giggles and snorts (Callum swallowed his strawberry so he didn’t choke) and Rayla straddles his hips to keep him from taking her food again. 

Callum looks at her wide-eyed and holds her by the waist. His smile not falling once as Rayla leans down and kisses him. Her eyes close when he kisses her back. She pulls away when she feels his hands go underneath her shirt and caress the bare skin of her back. 

“I think we should lock the door,” she mumbles as his cheeks go red and he nods. “You know, eating in private,” she adds kissing him forcefully and earning a moan out of him. 

“Yeah, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” her prince agrees and he watches her get off him and walk towards the door. She takes his scarf off the chair as she walks closer to him. 

“I agree.” She says, crawling on him again and kisses him. Her hand lays on his heart and she could feel it racing. He eyes the scarf in her hands and gives her a confused yet excited look. “This is for eating my food,” she whispers and he chuckles nervously at her. 

(Ezran was with Ethari and Runaan for the day and Soren had to suffer cleaning the kitchen alone)

* * *

“The wedding needs to happen next month. The damage done by Viren and Claudia is causing unrest between the Xadian and Katolian side of the breach.” Lady Opeli starts out the meeting, sitting on the young king’s left and Callum on his right. Rayla was looking bored on Callum’s other side but perked up when she heard the dark mage’s name. “Lady Rayla, Prince Callum, have you brought up marriage yet in your talks?” 

Callum holds back a snort. By _talks_ Opeli means _dates_. It has always annoyed him that she thinks that his and Rayla’s relationship isn’t a loving relationship built on trust, but a political endorsement. But he held his tongue about his opinions of the cleric. He doesn’t want anymore stress coming onto Ezran’s shoulders right now. 

“We have, Lady Opeli. But we like our relationship to be based on love rather than a political strategy. We love each other and we love our countries, but Callum and I should have our own thoughts on when our marriage will take place.” Rayla says as if using her telepathy to hear her prince’s mind. Had she been thinking the same thing too? “The biggest question is, what will we do with Claudia and Viren?” 

Callum sees in the corner of his eye Soren stiffening at the mention of his father and sister’s name. He no doubt likes the idea of sending them to die, but if worse comes to worst, Soren will be there to arrest them. The crown guard knows what his father and sister were capable of. 

Lady Opeli’s lips curl downwards into a frown. “I understand the reasoning behind your feelings, Lady Rayla, but this arrangement was political, to begin with. I wish I could change the law but that would mean putting Callum’s royal status on the line. Do you really want that on your shoulders?” 

Callum watches Rayla’s face as it transitions from guilt to regret from panic and back to guilt again. He holds her hands beneath the table and gives them a squeeze. He had told her before that he had never truly felt like a prince, his status never changed his feelings. It was because his mom married the king of Katolis. It wasn’t because he was born into royalty. Callum never figured out how to be a prince, but he already figured out that he wanted to continue learning about magic and run a school to help train children to connect to an arcanum. Meeting Rayla changed his life. He forgot that he was a prince, instead, he felt like someone more important than royalty; someone who loves his family despite his royalty. 

Rayla looks at him for reassurance. A final, _are you sure you want to give up everything to be with me?_ And he smiles while leaning over to capture her lips. Whispers and surprise gasps had risen up around them, but when Callum and Rayla broke the kiss one look at Ezran told them all they needed to know. All Ezran wants for Callum is to be happy and only asks Callum to be his High Mage. The archmage agrees and Lady Opeli announces that Prince Callum is to be called High Mage Callum or Lord Callum now. 

The meeting adjourned early and Ezran spent some time with Rayla and Callum with Soren tagging along. They went down by the river to relax after a stressful meeting. 

Rayla sits near the edge of the river with Callum sitting on her lap. Her arms were around his waist and her heart flutters when he turns his head and lays a gentle kiss against her lips. He curls himself against her and closes his eyes. 

It was peaceful. Totally peaceful. 

…

Until Soren had the smartest idea to dump water on both Callum and Rayla. Ezran lays quietly in his chair, sunglasses on, with Bait next to him in another chair as chaos erupts around them. They both sigh and calmly read their books. 

“I WAS SLEEPING SOREN!” 

“I JUST MET YOU AND YOU’RE ALREADY RUINING OUR FRIENDSHIP!” 

“ALL THIS BECAUSE OF LITTLE WATER?” Soren’s voice came out squeakier than Ezran had thought it would. The king snickers. 

“YES!” Both Rayla and Callum yell in unison as they follow the crown guard with runes out and rubber duckies. 

_You_ heard it right. 

Soren doesn’t like rubber duckies cause they squeak too much. Their soulless eyes know too much too. 

“Should we help him, Bait?” 

The glow toad grumbles out an answer. 

“Yeah, he deserves it.” 

* * *

  
  


Two years later… Katolis Castle…

Callum slumps down on his bed, exhausted from the day’s journey and the meetings that followed. His aching bones were screaming at him and he has yet to comply with them. Can’t a guy get a rest after defeating two dark mages and freeing their prisoners? 

Apparently not. 

Rayla walks in wearing his t-shirt and pajamas and holding their little son in her arms. She was whispering to him and it warms Callum’s heart. Aching bones be damn. 

The two-year-old turns his head and holds out his hands for his dad. Callum gets up and wanders over to them. Ezekiel was beautiful. White hair like his mums and stunning green eyes like his dad’s. He wasn’t as tall as his parents when they were toddlers but he’ll surely grow into his big feet (Rayla thanks Tiadrin that the gene of big feet skipped a generation. Tia often jokes that Ezekial will _kick ass_ using his big feet someday.) The little guy was a sweetheart that often steals jelly tarts with his uncle and they end up getting them for free anyways cause Ezekial loves giggling. 

Rayla passes her son over to Callum and Ezekial lays his head down against his father’s chest as if he’ll take a nap. Callum felt his son curl his little finger around his hand and the high mage was on the verge of tearing up. 

“He’s holding my hand, Ray.” 

“I know, love. I can see it.” Rayla smiles, leaning her chin on Callum’s shoulder and running a hand through her little boy’s hair. “And I also have a surprise for you too,” she whispers in his ear. 

Callum smiles and kisses her cheek. “Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it. I love you.” 

“I love you too, ya sap. So, how do you feel about Ezekial having another sibling?” Rayla asks shyly looking at her son in her husband’s arms. 

“Are you serious?” Callum breaths. 

“Yes, babe, I wouldn’t be joking about-” she gets cut off by her husband’s lips crashing into hers and she smiles against them. He leans his head on her shoulder and Ezekial makes a squeaky noise in protest before two arms snuggle him close to his parents. 

“I’m so in love with you right now.” Callum murmurs, kissing her even more and kissing her neck too. 

“Callum,” Rayla hisses, and giggles. “We have Ezekial between us! Don’t traumatize our son like that.”

“Fine, I promise to keep it between the sheets,” Callum smirks as Rayla scoffs playfully before walking away. “But, when are you due?” 

“Next July.” 

“That’s our month!” 

“DADA!” Ezekiel shrieks suddenly and Callum winces. 

“Dude, really? Many children share a month with their parents. Stop being dramatic.” Rayla rolls her eyes as she shushes a now grumpy two-year-old. It was adorable seeing Ezekial looking so much like his mother every day. 

“I _guess_ I _can_ share a _month_ with _my_ child.” Callum groans, putting his arm across his face dramatically, and laughs when Rayla throws Ezekials’s baby blanket at him. “ _And_ the _love_ of my life too.” He smiles warmly as she smiles at him. 

“I was _going_ to say, Mr. _Mage_.” Rayla snarks at him but smiles after he tugs her into his arms. 

The windowsill of their bedroom had a pot. The pot was colored red, yellow, green, and navy. The color of unity. But what was housed in soil and water? It was a poppy seed. 

And as the season changes, the poppy seeds will bloom into beautiful flowers.

Almost like the garden of Eden, but without the negative and the dark magic powering it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it Thursday yet?


End file.
